FBI Statement Regarding Conficker Worm

"The FBI is aware of the potential threat posed by the Conficker worm. We are working closely with a broad range of partners, including DHS and other agencies in the U.S. government, as well as throughout the private sector, to fully identify and mitigate the threat.

“The public is once again reminded to employ strong security measures on their computers. That includes the installation of the latest anti-virus software and having a firewall in place. Additionally, the public should be aware of the potential dangers associated with spam e-mail. Opening, responding to, or clicking on attachments contained in unsolicited e-mail is particularly harmful and should be avoided."

Shawn Henry, Assistant Director, FBI Cyber Division

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Georgia State Professor Studies New Approach to Cyber Defense

Georgia State University’s Raheem Beyah is exploring innovative ways to keep computer networks secure from potential attackers.

The assistant professor of computer science has received a five-year, $400,000 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program grant from the National Science Foundation to explore methods to better detect cyber activity that could do great harm to individuals, organizations, businesses and government.

There are two ways to approach intrusion detection — either on the computers themselves, such as antivirus and firewall software, or having a detection program on a network that observes intrusions.

Both have their benefits, but there are detractions for each method.

“The software itself on a computer can damage the device, or it can open up new avenues for attackers to access the system,” Beyah explained. “If you have intrusion detection on a network, this is mitigated, but it does not give you the same level of detail about intrusions compared with methods residing on the host.”

Attempting to find the intrusion could be as harmful as the intrusion itself, a situation Beyah compares to a biopsy in cancer patients.

“It would be really nice if they could use a non-intrusive tool to tell whether you have cancer without having to cut into the body,” he said.

“My goal is to do something to bridge between the two detection methods, and to give us the strengths of both while minimizing the weaknesses.”

In addition to security research, Beyah plans to reach out to underrepresented groups in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering subjects — including minorities and females — through a summer academy which will help teach students about computer architecture and networking.

The Acknowledge Academy at the Knowledge Is Power Program West Atlanta Young Scholars (KIPP WAYS) Academy, a preparatory charter school of the Atlanta Public Schools will give students hands-on experience in these abstract subjects by using popular electronics.

“We hope to use devices like the iPod Touch to let the students break them open to look at the processors and memory,” said Beyah, who is on the board of directors of KIPP WAYS.
“Hopefully, they'll learn that there's science behind all of this cool stuff they use.”

Previous Georgia State Computer Science CAREER recipients include assistant professors Yingshu Li and Xiaojun Cao. Li is researching routing problems in sensor networks, while Cao is investigating optical networking.

For more about computer science and research at Georgia State, visit www.cs.gsu.edu.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

When is Privacy Private on Your Computer?

GFP Note: Privacy, or the lack thereof, is a big issue in today's world. "Private browsing" only assists privacy on one computer. Read and take heed.

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Microsoft announced last week that the upcoming Internet Explorer 8 would include the rumored “private browsing” mode, designed to conceal a user’s activities from other users of the same PC. A privacy mode is already a feature of Apple’s Safari browser, and a similar technology is available in Mozilla’s Firefox, as well as the newly announced Google Chrome. Private browsing mode utilizes techniques that automatically delete search history, page cache, and browsing history so the next user can’t see where you’ve been or what you’ve been up to.

Unfortunately, this mode does nothing to provide real privacy from hackers, spyware, and network-based attacks that pose significant and growing threats to users’ finances and identities.

“The private browsing mode avoids embarrassment, and prevents your spouse from learning about the surprise gift you’re researching for them,” says Ray Dickenson, Authentium’s CTO. “But it doesn’t prevent the disclosure of your usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information to criminals. While we applaud the feature as a valuable tool for users, we’re concerned the name will only exacerbate the current explosion of digitally cultivated identity theft by fooling users into thinking they’re protected.”

Authentium, maker of the leading secure browsing companion SafeCentral, cautions users not to trust these privacy features as a means of protection from fraud.

“Whether using Safari, Firefox, or the upcoming Internet Explorer 8, users need to be aware that the private browsing mode is for local protection only, and is not a deterrent against identity theft,” says Corey O’Donnell, Vice President of Marketing for Authentium. “While I can’t suggest a better name, we’re certainly concerned that the private browsing moniker will give users a false sense of security and put them at increased risk when conducting transactions online. Independent of our goals and mission of providing advanced protection with our SafeCentral service, we feel it’s important to alert the public about the actual functions of this feature.”

Authentium issued the warning in conjunction with the recent announcement and posted notifications to its antivirus customers and security partners via the corporate blog. Authentium is attempting to ensure that the security community, including its roster of high-profile partners, was prepared to respond to customer inquiry on the feature.

-----

www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

News to Use in Fayette, Coweta, Atlanta and all of Georgia

Tax-Free Holiday, Sales Combine for Big Savings

Chances are your child will need clothes, school supplies and maybe even a computer before the school year rolls around. To lessen the budgetary blow, purchase these items during Georgia’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday, says a financial expert with the University of Georgia.
The holiday will be July 31 - Aug. 3. During this tax-free window certain purchases will be exempt from state and local sales taxes. Clothing, personal computers and accessories and school supplies are on the tax-free list.

Clothing, including shoes, is exempt from sales tax as long as the item costs $100 or less. Jewelry, watches or watchbands, eye wear, handbags and umbrellas are not exempt.

For computers and accessories for personal use, the tax-free limit is $1,500 for a single purchase. UGA Cooperative Extension consumer economics specialist Michael Rupured urges consumers to take a tally of their computer-related items before heading to the register.

“If the purchase exceeds $1,500, the entire purchase is not exempt from the sales tax,” he said. “Aside from that limitation, practically anything needed to setup and operate a computer at home is exempt.”

To avoid missing out on the tax break, Rupured suggests purchasing computer hardware at one store and software and other accessories at another. And, before you make any computer purchase, do a little window shopping to see which retailer offers the best bargain.

School supplies up to $20 per item are also exempt from the sales tax during the holiday. Make a list of the school supplies your child will need to avoid making unnecessary purchases.

Saving 6 or 7 percent on purchases may not sound like much, but coupling this break with retail sales can result in a substantial savings, he said.

“Do a little research and check advertisements and fliers for sales,” Rupured said. “The sales-tax holiday has become so big now that most retailers offer big sales to attract more business.”

Don’t bring your children along for the shopping excursion, unless you are purchasing their clothes.

“Most of the time you’ll spend less without the kids around,” he said. “Go out by yourself to purchase school supplies and computers and accessories. While you are out, make note of any particularly good clothing sales and return to those stores later during the holiday with the kids.”

The tax-free holidays are designed to help Georgians save, not spend, money. Rupured discourages consumers from buying items on credit during the tax-free days.

“Unless you pay the balance in full with each statement, the interest you pay on a credit card balance can be high enough to offset any savings,” he said. “To avoid temptation, leave your credit cards at home.”

For an entire list of which items will and will not be exempt during the tax holiday, see the Georgia Department of Revenue Web site at www.etax.dor.ga.gov/.

By Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia

Sharon Omahen is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Computer Predicts Anti-Cancer Molecules

A new computer-based method of analyzing cellular activity has correctly predicted the anti-tumour activity of several molecules. Research published today in BioMed Central’s open access journal, Molecular Cancer, describes ‘CoMet’ – a tool that studies the integrated machinery of the cell and predicts those components that will have an effect on cancer.

Jeffery Skolnick, professor in the School of Biology and director of the Center for the Study of Systems Biology, in collaboration with John McDonald, chair of the School of Biology, led a team from the Georgia Institute of Technology who have developed this new strategy.

“This opens up the possibility of novel therapeutics for cancer and develops our understanding of why such metabolites work. CoMet provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer,” said Skolnick.

The small molecules that are naturally produced in cells are called metabolites. Enzymes, the biological catalysts that produce and consume these metabolites, are created according to a cell’s genetic blueprints. Importantly, however, the metabolites can also affect the expression of genes.

“By comparing the gene expression levels of cancer cells relative to normal cells and converting that information into the enzymes that produce metabolites,” said Skolnick, “CoMet predicts metabolites that have lower concentrations in cancer relative to normal cells.”

The research proves that when such putatively depleted metabolites are added to cancer cells, they exhibit anticancer properties. In this case, growth of leukemia cells was slowed by all nine of the metabolites suggested by CoMet.

The future for this treatment looks bright, added McDonald. “While we have only performed cell proliferation assays, it is reasonable to speculate that some metabolites may also exhibit many other anticancer properties,” he said. “These could be important steps on the road to a cure.”